GLAAD - Jay Wilsonhttp://www.glaad.org/tags/jay-wilson
enHelping Churches Participate in Transgender Day of Remembrancehttp://www.glaad.org/blog/helping-churches-participate-transgender-day-remembrance
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-featured field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span id="styles-0-0" class="styles file-styles 750px"> <img src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/750px/public/tdor_header_3.png?itok=n-qKSntc" alt="" title="" /></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>This week is <a href="http://www.glaad.org/transawarenessweek">Transgender Awareness Week</a>, which will culminate next Tuesday in the <a href="http://www.glaad.org/tdor">Transgender Day of Remembrance</a>, where we remember those who lost their lives due to anti-trans violence. Memorials will be held around the country in various cities.</p>
<p>Faith communities may also memorialize those who have been lost. Congregations are encouraged to offer a petition in your worship services in recognition of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The Lutheran LGBT organization, <a href="http://www.reconcilingworks.org/">ReconcilingWorks</a> has provided <a href="http://www.reconcilingworks.org/images/stories/downloads/resources/051_worshipresources-transdayofremembrance2012.pdf">worship materials for congregations, including different forms of Confession and Forgiveness and Prayers of the People</a>.</p>
<p><img class="media-image" height="179" id="2" style="height: 179px; width: 250px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: left;;;" width="250" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/4139545727_fb014607e0.jpg?itok=GQY_Sax2" alt="" />These worship resources are written by the Rev. Jay Wilson, a self-described queer and genderqueer transguy, autistic and disabled. He also identifies as a Lutheran postmodern, third-wave feminist, academic geek, disability rights activist, and social justice advocate. Rev. Wilson has a degree in social work as well as divinity, and has worked with homeless populations, in advocacy, and in academia. He is a member of <a href="http://www.elm.org/2011/02/14/jay-wilson/">Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries</a>. </p>
<p>Rev. Wilson notes that the resources were written for a Lutheran context, and may be adapted to other traditions, and he warns that this liturgy talks about violence, which may be difficult for some people.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.reconcilingworks.org/images/stories/downloads/resources/051_worshipresources-transdayofremembrance2012.pdf">One suggested confession includes these petitions</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and one another.</em></p>
<p><em>Gracious God, Have mercy on us.</em></p>
<p><em>We confess that we have turned from you and from your claimed people.</em></p>
<p><em>We have given ourselves to the powers of sin in division, bickering, bullying, isolation, hatred, fear and oppression.</em></p>
<p><em>We have sinned against you and your people in judgmental thoughts, careless words, and fearful deeds; by what we have said and done, and by what we have left undone.</em></p>
<p><em>We have left members of our community isolated and alone.</em></p>
<p><em>We have not confronted hatred and violence.</em></p>
<p><em>We have left our own privilege and sexism unexamined.</em></p>
<p><em>We have failed to notice and challenge gender oppression in, with, and under our racism, ageism, classism, ableism, sizism, binary thinking, and all the other ways we oppress.</em></p>
<p><em>We have turned away from hunger and poverty, turned our backs on the suffering of most of our world.</em></p>
<p><em>We have loved our own comfort more than we have loved others.</em></p>
<p><em>We have put our gender norms before our love for you and for our neighbors.</em></p>
<p><em>Turn us again toward you, bringing us into full relationship through your Spirit with all of our neighbors.</em></p>
<p><em>Forgive us, renew us, and lead us to walk in the ways of the table-turner, the oppression-healer and the community-builder. Let your Holy Spirit speak through us and guide us into community.</em></p>
<p><em>Amen</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>GLAAD is lifting up the lives and stories of transgender people for Transgender Awareness Week, as well as the Transgender Day of Remembrance. GLAAD is partnering with <a href="http://www.masstpc.org/" target="_blank">MTPC</a> (the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition) to release new videos for the <em><a href="http://www.glaad.org/transpeoplespeak" target="_blank">I AM: Trans People Speak</a></em> campaign. You can participate in the <em>I AM: Trans People Speak</em> campaign by submitting your own video <a href="http://www.glaad.org/transpeoplespeak" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>GLAAD encourages all faith communities to participate in both Transgender Awareness Week and the Transgender Day of Remembrance. These resources are a helpful way to get started. Let us know in the comments below what your faith community is planning to do/has already done.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pubdate field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">November 15, 2012</span></div></div></div>
<div class="field field-name-field-issues field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/religion-and-faith">Religion and Faith</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/transgender">Transgender</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/tdor-0">TDOR</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/lutheran">lutheran</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/jay-wilson">Jay Wilson</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/reconcilingworks">ReconcilingWorks</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/extraordinary-lutheran-ministries">Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/worship">worship</a></li>
</ul>
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Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:50:11 +0000rossmurray60240 at http://www.glaad.orghttp://www.glaad.org/blog/helping-churches-participate-transgender-day-remembrance#comments